I hope to move my plants into the greenhouse soon and need advice on how to prepare the building for occupancy. How do I disinfect it? Do I need to remove all the remaining old plant stems (dry and brittle)? There is water and heat. The facility is located on the roof of the biology building and hasn't been used for several years. I have to carry everything the last flight of stairs to the roof. Can someone assist me with a step by step game plan for moving in? Thanks.
Another view
Padre..., give me a call..., I'll be glad to come over and lend a hand.
Adam.
Thanks Adam. Call you today.
now thats really cool that you 2 can get together and do that!
:)
Any and all comments from growers about how to clean and ready this long~unused greenhouse for growing would be very helpful in advancing Padre's vision of beautifying the Bronx, one flower at a time.
Thanks.
Adam.
I would start by taking all the old dirt, stems, leaves etc. out of there. Then I would spray benches and all other parts of GH with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Good luck guys!
Also you want to check and make sure the ventilation system and lighting works before you bring any plants in.
This message was edited Saturday, Mar 8th 6:03 PM
oh wow! not only do you have a wonderful place to play during the cool days of spring, but a new friend too! I love DGers!
Padre, you have some seeds on the way from GA, hope there's something you don't already have.
And after you're done with the cleaning you gotta drive up here and load up all my plants that won't fit in my GH.....they would love to live in such a nice GH......
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. The electricians will be in this week to check out the thermostat, heaters, lights and fans. Can any of the large plastic pots and tubs be sanitized and reused? Can the clay pots be reused?
This is another picture:
Yes Padre they can all be used. Just wash them in the same bleach/water solution. I sterilize my pots every year like that.In the fall I fill up a 5 gal bucket with warm water and some bleach and wash my pots outside and then rinse with the hose. Then in the spring they're ready to use again. That's sure a beautiful GH. That's just the kind I need up here in the artic tundra. LOL
I'm thinking to remove the existing deep benches with the gravely soil and replace them with benches with some kind of open surface for supporting flats. May I have suggestions for the bench surface? I would also put a potting bench against the stone wall. Adam will come by on Tuesday , in old clothes, to help with the grunt labor. Can I trust him with the hose or should I wear my bathing suit? Crestedchik, I used to spend a week in the summertime at Monroe, NY. If I recall, its only an hour's drive from here. I'll have a house warming when we are ready to move in and you can come and show me how to operate this building. I look forward to the gift seeds from GA, tiG. Thank you snowhermit. I will get rid of all that debris tomorrow or Monday so when Adam arrives we can get to work scrubbing.
guys, we want pictures!!! lots of them. have someone handy to do this for us, please??????
I used chicken wire to build my shelving. It allows the water to drain away and light gets through any crack not filled by a tray. However, I think the gravel serves the purpose of keeping humidity around the plants,,,maybe someone else knows for sure.
I would think the ventilation is most important. While my greenhouse stays nice and warm during the winter months with the heater running like crazy; in the summer it gets in excess of 130 degrees in there, and thats with a shade cloth, an exhaust fan and vents.
Padre,the Monroe you're thinking of is up by Rockland County,and it is close to you,but West Monroe is up 30 miles north of Syracuse on 81.......
If you go to the roundup I will have plants to donate to the beautiful GH!
Crestedchik, you must be somewhere between Central Square and Mexico or Fulton, NY. I don't have my map handy. I spent ten years in Syracuse and go back frequently. I'll let you know next time I'm by that way. MossRose, The large unit outside the greenhouse is an air blower to force air into the house and expell the hot air through the roof panels. I trust we can get it running again. Thanks for the picture. Got me thinking. Do you use pressure treated wood or untreated? I am afraid of the chemical vapors from the treated wood.
This message was edited Sunday, Mar 9th 9:29 AM
Right next to Central Square,When you get off 81 turn right instead of left to go to the Square.I am down in Toad Harbor.....
Stop by if your ever up here......
You can count on it :-)
Padre, this is the wire I used for my benches. It is the kind used for building cages. Even though it is stronger than chicken wire I wish now that we had used a heavier guage wire. I have big pots on my benches and even this tends to bend. We could have put more bracing underneath but since I use a hose to water the bracing would have been wet all the time. If you are just going to use this for flats you can get by with a lighter wire.
snowhermit, this is the same method the Orchid growers use..the wire platform. Great air circulation for the tropicals! going to try this! Elaine
Padre, It was untreated wood, but I apply a coat of polyurethane annually. The shelving has been there 6 or 7 years now and is doing good. The solid surface work station I built has not survived as well as I've had to replace the countertop twice already. When I redo the shelves I will probably try to find something a little stronger than the chicken wire,,the weight of the full trays does make it sag some, which is why I put so much support under it, and I wasn't strong enough to pull it as tight as it could have been.
It's great you'll have good air circulation,,,very important to prevent disease, and insects! It took only one infestation of aphids to teach me the importance of air circulation, and forced me to understand that organic is fine....as long as there aren't aphids!
Thanks MossRose, Snowhermit and other advisors :-) I have started the task of removing the ton of old soil contained in the three troughs. The pea gravel in it will help build good drainage in my garden beds. I will replace the present tables with tables utilizing your suggestions. I found an old formaica table top which I plan to install as the surface for my potting table. I am looking for a deal where I can get some of the stainless steel heavy wire shelving units used in store rooms, just the shelving, not the vertical elements. They would make an ideal surface for the flats and heavy containers (read brug pots). Has anyone any advice on using pressure treated wood for table construction? Would the chemicals affect plant growth?
Padre, All my tables are made from pressure treated wood.I have seen no ill affects on anything.
Thanks Snowhermit. I'm relieved to hear that.
The ill effects we are speaking of are molecular in size and carcinogenic in nature. This is why most pressure treated woods are being traken off the market according to an industry / government negotiated schedule.
The concern here is less for the plants than the humans handling / exposed to the product. Or perhaps humans eating the plants grown in these materials, as the chemicals are fat soluble, not water soluble.
There is a rather detailed thread about this someplace here on DG, with excellent links to detailed sites, but searching for it now I didn't find it.
Until I do locate it, here is some other information:
http://www.safe2use.com/ca-ipm/01-11-07.htm
http://www.ewg.org/reports/poisonwoodrivals/pr.html
http://www.treated-wood-arsenic-poisoning.com/
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/news/013102_iteam_arsenic.html
http://www.noccawood.ca/
Adam.
This message was edited Monday, Mar 10th 12:02 PM
I made benches out of white cedar. They smell wonderful when I water.
Lindakay, What is the finished size of the top slats 1" x 2" ?
I ripped 1X3's and they are spaced the same distance apart. They are 28 inches deep and 35 inches tall. I made one that is 10 ft long and then made smaller ones that fit in the spaces I had left. They are very lightweight.
Linda
Thanks Lindakay. I'm in the design stage now but hope to start construction within a week. Your suggestions will help.
These benches came with our newest greenhouse. They work nice, but would be expensive. They are 1" X 1" welded wire on a wood 2" X 4" frame.
ßernie
This is the type of bench we have in most of our houses.
They are made of metal "hat" channel. All you need is a tin snip & a screw gun. Frames are metal studs. You get this material at a builders supply co. If you don't know where to find one, ask a commerial builder in your area. This material costs about half of wood, is galvanized,(will last forever), cannot harbor disease or bugs.
ßernie
Adding: We space the channels out to fit our trays. For setting pots on this you add metal lathe. It is an expanded metal that comes in small sheets. All this stuff is easy to work with and very strong when done. Most of our legs are 6 feet apart.
This message was edited Wednesday, Mar 12th 9:21 AM
ßernie,Great looking tables!!!I like both styles,never seen the metal type,nice idea!
Root
Thanks Berni. I will explore the options with some of our local builders and see what they come up with. Sometimes they have some 'left over' material we can use :-) I'll post the final pictures when I'm finished building, which better be soon since I gotta get at least a hundred plants potted up and out of my little room!
This is a picture of the control room for the heating/ventilation of the greenhouse.
Hi Padre,
You have quite a set up there....wished I was closer I'd be more then happy to give y'all a hand. Good Luck!!! Keep us update.
